Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1491408
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 FEBRUARY 2023 THE Planning Authority moved in with mechanical shovels and trucks on Tuesday to remove tonnes of rubble dumped in the valley between Mtarfa and Mdina. The direct action was the re- sult of two enforcement notic- es, one dating back to 2010 and another to 2021, issued against contravener Paul Falzon. On Tuesday morning, PA enforcement officials accom- panied by the police moved in on the site situated in the vi- cinity of the Għeriexem Valley Bridge, a Grade 1 protected monument. In parts of the plot spread over 9,273sq.m, the dumped in- ert material reached depths of between 8m and 10m, accord- ing to a case officer's report. The first enforcement order issued 13 years ago referred to the "dumping activity con- sisting of deposition of con- struction material, bricks, and limestone... on scheduled land without a permit." The second enforcement or- der issued two years ago re- ferred to the "levelling of inert material, gravel and soil and the formation of a ramp without permit". Falzon had tried to regular- ise the illegal activity through a sanctioning application pre- sented in 2018 which was re- fused by the Planning Authority in September of the same year. Falzon had proposed covering the inert material with 0.5m of soil. At that stage, Falzon had al- ready accumulated €23,064 in daily fines. Subsequently an appeal against this decision filed by Falzon was refused by the Envi- ronment and Planning Review Tribunal in July 2021. Falzon argued that the depo- sition of inert material with a soil topping on existing field had "absolutely no impact on the footprint of the bridge" or on the landscape value of the area. During the appeal the Su- perintendence for Cultural Heritage remarked that the works involved "very exten- sive dumping to a considerable depth, effectively remodelling the profile of the valley" and al- so noted that the dumping also "extends into the footprint of a Grade 1 scheduled monument, namely the bridge across the valley". Following the refusal Falzon applied to "create 1m swales for water drainage" and "to sanction the deposition of clean construction waste" but the ap- plication in question is still at the initial "screening" stage and has yet to be validated by the PA. Concurrently Falzon repre- sented by architect Charles Buhagiar also filed an appeal against the enforcement order issued in 2010. This appeal is still pending. PA clears illegally dumped rubble in Mtarfa valley